Thorn in the Garden of Life

[losthunter]

Hunter paced his apartment, his phone in one hand, and a list of phone numbers in his other hand. He just got off the phone with Marcus, one of the six other people who had been given a gift by Kendra. And had learned that Marcus had been attacked by Austin.

Luckily, Marcus was able to get away, without any major side effects.

But Hunter was now worried about the others. And so he was making calls to everyone else who he had talked to, and warned them about Austin so they could stay safe.

And he knew it was time to face Austin again. But even though he felt like it was an emergency, Hunter knew that it would be better to make sure someone else came with him. He also knew exactly who he wanted to have by his side.

Jim. Austin attacked another person. I feel like I need to deal with this. Are you available to come with me?

Comments

[boldygoing]

"Yeah, I getcha. Suppose we can try stunning him first. I don't know if it'll work, but we might as well try." Jim slips the watch into one of his pockets, making sure Hunter can see which one. "So where are we headed?"

[losthunter]

"Not far. Marcus lives in the Bronx, a different part of New York City." Hunter opens a PINpoint portal. He is visibly bothered by the fact Austin is so close to his 'home'.

[boldygoing]

"That close?" Jim's frown deepens, for similar reasons. The idea that this apparently dangerous guy is living practically next door to Hunter's old place is a disturbing one.

[losthunter]

"Austin traveled to New York..." Hunter clarified for Jim, realizing that he would not know that information.

"There is three of us, with gifts, who live in New York. And he must have figured that it was a good place to start his hunt."

They arrive in a middle-scale neighborhood, where Hunter leads Jim to the door of Marcus' house. He knocks on the door, and waits. After a moment, an beautiful looking woman answered.

Hunter blinked for a moment, because the woman had the same eyes and same hair color as Marcus. And remembering the man's gifts, he wagered a guess. "Marcus?"

"It is me Hunter. I still have to stay with this appearance." The woman answered. She opened the door to let both Hunter and Jim enter. "Who is your friend?"

"This is Jim. Jim, this is Marcus." Hunter makes with the introductions.

"Sorry I can't greet you with my usual style and flair."

[boldygoing]

"That's all right," Jim answers. He's not sure what the 'usual style and flair' would be, but it doesn't seem like the important questions to ask. "Can you tell us what happened?"

[losthunter]

Marcus gestures for both Jim and Hunter to sit. Then gets settled, after adjusting for the female body he is using right now.

"When Austin first arrived, he explained that he wanted to connect to the others who were gifted... just like Hunter had. That he had been inspired by Hunter's visit."

"We spoke at length about my experience, and his. Things seemed normal..." Marcus paused for a moment. "I had gone into the kitchen to get some drinks, and he turned on the TV for a moment. Wanted to watch the news. When I returned, he was very quiet. And got this far-away look. Then he excused himself, saying he had leave."

"He shook my hand before he left, and that is when I felt something weird. A sensation. Moments after he left, I started having all these doubting thoughts about myself. It was almost overwhelming. I just felt so tired..."

"Out of instinct, I changed my appearance, and the feeling was gone." Marcus finishes his story, looking at the two men.

"The news? It sounds like something upset him." Hunter noted softly.

"The anchor, Rob Kingson, was doing a commentary on transgender washrooms." Marcus rolled his eyes slightly, expressing his frustration with the anchor. "He was of course, opposed to the concept."

"Rob Kingson?" Hunter raises from his seat.

"Yeah. He seemed to have really upset Austin. Why?" Marcus asked.

"That is my father." Hunter gets a panicked feeling. "I never thought of calling him..."

[boldygoing]

Hunter's father? That's a crazy coincidence, and Jim isn't sure that it is a coincidence. Either way, he can't imagine how Hunter is feeling right now, and puts a hand on his knee in silent support.

He doesn't fully understand the implications of the issue, but he can tell that it's upsetting, either way. "You don't think they're linked somehow, do you?"

[losthunter]

"I don't know..." Hunter takes out his phone. He dials a number that he hasn't used in a long time. And after it is unanswered, he put his head in his hands.

"Fuck..."

[boldygoing]

Jim moves his hand to Hunter's back, not really sure what to say. He's no stranger to shitty family relationships, but he's never been through something like this either. "We'll figure it out."

[losthunter]

"I have to go talk to him. Make sure he is okay." Hunter lifts his head slightly. "Make sure Austin hasn't tried to hurt him."

"I believe they were talking about doing a live interview, tonight," Marcus mentioned.

"Where?"

"With the Mayor at City Hall." Marcus answered.

"That is where we will find my dad." Hunter nods.

[boldygoing]

"Hold on," Jim says, trying to think this through. "We've got to be careful about this. What if Austin is doing this to lure you in?"

[losthunter]

Hunter sits back, staring at the roof for a moment. "You think that might be it? That somehow he knew that it was my dad on the TV?"

"Fuck... if my dad is in danger now, because of me..."

[boldygoing]

"I'm not saying that's definitely the case," Jim says carefully, "but we need to be cautious. Consider all the angles. It could be a coincidence, or it could be deliberate action, but either way, it won't hurt to be careful."

He's learned firsthand the consequences that can come from rushing in, blood running hot and critical thinking turned off, assuming he knew what was going on. He doesn't want to see Hunter have to learn the same lesson.

[losthunter]

Hunter nods. Listening to the points that Jim is making. And then he takes a moment to consider his options.

"We need to still check on my dad, but we have to consider that this might be a trap and go into it with all eyes open. Rushing into the situation would not be the best scenario."

"You know, Austin doesn't know who you are. We could use that to our advantage." Hunter points out.

[boldygoing]

"You mean use me as a scout." Jim's onboard with the idea. He can imagine just how upset Bones would be if he knew, though, and decides not to mention this to the doctor anytime soon.

[losthunter]

Hunter reaches into his backpack, and takes out a sketch book. In a matter of seconds, he has sketched out a portrait of how Austin looks. He then gives the drawing to Jim.

"This is what he looks like. You scout ahead, to see if he is laying in wait. And if he is not around, I can go in and check on my dad."

"But be careful... just because he doesn't know you, doesn't mean he won't try anything." Hunter adds.

[boldygoing]

It's a good thing that Hunter is an artist, because the drawing is definitely going to be good enough to identify Austin, if he's there. "If I do find him, what's the plan?" He's not intending to confront Austin on his own, unless that's part of the plan.

[losthunter]

"I think you sort of have to find a way to get close to him. Maybe by voicing your support for the same things he wants to support, and be just as angry at 'Rob' as he is. Maybe if he trusts you, then you could give him that watch without anything being suspicious." Hunter suggests.

[boldygoing]

Jim nods, and puts the sketch of Austin into his pocket. "That's the plan, then. Let's get moving."

[losthunter]

Hunter calls them a Uber cab, deciding against using his PINpoint to get to city hall. And he thanks Marcus for his information, before they leave.

The cab ride allows Hunter to slow down his mind, and just think about the situation. He doesn't like this one bit.

As they reach City Hall, there is a small crowd of protestors outside. The cab has to park a few blocks away, which suits Hunter just fine. He leads Jim to a small alleyway, where they can talk, before they split up.

"I expect if Austin is here, he is among those protestors."

[boldygoing]

"What's the protest about? I didn't really catch all that, back at Marcus' place." He hasn't wanted to ask right then, aware that it'd probably seem odd if he didn't know already. But if he's going to pretend to be part of the crowd, he should know how to act.

[losthunter]

"My dad, during his TV commentary, had made some comments about why he opposes transgender rights to use the bathrooms of their chosen gender identity." Hunter tries to explain. "We still live in a society where there are society-driven rules and regulations based on bathrooms. And most public restrooms are assigned as 'men' or 'women'. There are very few gender-neutral bathrooms."

"And the protestors are voicing their support for transgender rights."

[boldygoing]

Jim has heard stories about the historical regressive attitudes of old Earth, but seeing it in action is a little different. He will never understand why anyone would care what another person does to their own body, especially something as harmless as using the restroom. "Shouldn't be much need for me to act, then." Which should make things easier to play along, if Austin is on the side of the protestors.

[losthunter]

"No. You should be able to blend in with the protestors pretty quickly." Hunter pulls out his PINpoint.

"I will wait here. Until you give me the all clear, or send a message that Austin is among the crowd."

[boldygoing]

Jim nods, and makes sure that his own PINpoint is secure in his pocket. He gives the sketch of Austin one last look, and moves out of the alleyway, walking over to join the protesters.

Maybe he's a little out of place without a sign, but he's not the only one, and he pretends to turn his attention to the building that they're protesting outside of, watching out of the corner of his eye for Austin.